Basra airport reopens for national stranded abroad as Iraq extends airspace closure

BASRA — Iraq partially resumed air travel on Sunday, allowing flights to operate through Basra International Airport while national airspace remains closed due to ongoing military conflict between Israel and Iran.

The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority initially suspended all flights on Friday after regional airspace became crowded with missile activity. The no-fly order has since been extended in 24-hour increments, with the latest extension running through Monday evening.

While most of Iraq remains under the closure, Basra International Airport reopened Sunday to accommodate returning Iraqi nationals stranded abroad.

“Basra International Airport received all flights evacuating Iraqis stranded abroad, after air navigation was restored in Basra exclusively from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., then extended to 10 p.m.,” an airport official told 964media. “Arrivals and departures reached 10 flights. Some planes arrived without passengers, but the airport is ready to handle more flights if pressure increases.”

The official said Basra airport, Iraq’s second-largest, is equipped with 12 boarding gates and an auxiliary apron that can hold up to five additional aircraft.

The disruption has affected Iraqis across the globe, many of whom were traveling for summer holidays or family visits. Passengers rerouted to Basra have continued their journeys by road to reach their final destinations.

“We were stranded in India. Iraqi Airways flight 444, which was headed to Baghdad International Airport, was canceled,” said Moeid Saleh, a traveler from Karbala. “After the Iraqi government directed the Ministry of Transport to evacuate citizens, two planes were sent to India today to bring us to Basra. We will travel to Karbala by land.”

Haider Mohammed, from Mosul, shared a similar experience: “I was in India and our flight from New Delhi to Baghdad was canceled due to the airspace closure. We have now arrived in Basra and will continue to Mosul by land. The procedures have been smooth.”

The government has not indicated when full airspace operations will resume but said it continues to monitor regional developments.